Alzheimer's | The Blog on alanarnette.com

10 Years after Ida’s Death

Aug 162019

Ten years ago on August 16, 2009, Ida Arnette died from Alzheimer’s disease. Hard to believe it was a decade ago. As I try to do each year on this anniversary, I climb Mt. Ida at 12889′ in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, a perfect peak to honor Ida. The Long Goodbye With an average life expectancy after diagnosis of eight to 10 years, Alzheimer’s disease has been called “the long goodbye.” Unlike other terminal diseases, when a person with Alzheimer’s dies all of their personalities traits, tendencies and abilities have disappeared. It was in 2003 when Ida began to show the earliest signs that continue reading

Bolivia 2019: Poor Weather in Bolivia, But Got a Summit!

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Jul 232019

Bolivia 2019: Poor Weather in Bolivia, But Got a Summit!

As we left Copacabanna for the trailhead for our attempt of Pequeño Alpamayo, or Little Alpamayo Condoriri Group in La Coordillera Blanca, I was a bit apprehensive. I had felt good on our acclimatization hikes but we were now going over 17,000 feet and then on to almost 20 and then over 21,000. The drive along the Bolivian roads was peaceful. The scenery calming and soon I was enjoying the ride. At some random kilometer marker, the driver of our small bus turned left onto a dirt road. The skyline of the Condoriri Group stood tall, covered in white snow continue reading

Bolivia 2019: Acclimatizing in Bolivia

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Jul 232019

We are well into our Bolivian climbs and I want to announce a change for the Alzheimer’s fundraising. Thus far I’m very impressed with the mountains of Bolivia. Our Mountain Madness team of eight with two guides spent the first week in Bolivia touring the city of La Paz before moving to the lakeside city of Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. We took hikes up to 13,200’/4023m for acclimatization and took in some extraordinary views of the area. On the way out of La Paz we had a nice view of Illimani at 21,122 ft / 6,438 m the highest mountain in continue reading

Bolivia 2019: Fun in La Paz

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Jul 142019

Our climbing of three peaks in Bolivia is underway. I arrived early, as in 1:30 am Thursday morning, to El Alto at the world’s highest commercial airport at 13,175’/4061m and was promptly met by the Mountain Madness team and liaison. We made our way to our great hotel in La Paz where I’ve been adjusting to the altitude of 11,607’/3550m for the last couple for days. Today, Sunday, July 14 along with Mountain Madness guides Gaspar Navarrete, and Paul Guerra we took a walking tour of the city including the market and the Witches Market where you can buy all things continue reading

Bolivia 2019: Climbing Bolivian Peaks for Alzheimer’s

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Jul 012019

I’m very excited to announce my plans to climb in Bolivia in July 2019 and an Alzheimer’s fund raising event opportunity. I’ve climbed in South America six times: three on Argentina’s Aconcagua at 22,834-feet/6,960 meters and once on Peru’s Alpamayo at 19,511-feet/5,947 meters. In January of this year, 2019, I went to Ecuador for Cayambe at 18,997 feet/5,790 meters, Cotopaxi at 19,348 feet/5,897 meters, and Chimborazo at 20,703 feet/6,310 meters. I climbed in Ecuador with Mountain Madness and will again in Bolivia. And a bit of trivia, I’ll turn 63 while on Illimani – 21,122 ft / 6438 m! Alzheimer’s Fundraising continue reading

2019 Alzheimer’s Fundraising Event

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Jun 302019

Support Alan’s 63rd Birthday with a Donation to Alzheimer’s Research CLICK HERE TO DONATE I was hoping a new idea might bring new opportunities for Alzheimer’s fundraising but there has not been any individual, group or company contact me to on my offer to speak at any event in any mainland US city as long as the organizers would guarantee a minimum of $5,000 will be donated directly to a research-oriented Alzheimer’s non-profit. It’s not too late Click this link to add your “bid” and the highest bid over $5,000 will win! But there is always the traditional method! Alan’s 63 Birthday – continue reading

Back to Nepal for Alzheimer’s

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Sep 182018

My passion is climbing and my life’s purpose is as an Alzheimer’s Advocate. In that spirit, I’m excited to share this announcement with my friends, supporters, and followers that I’m returning to Nepal in October 2018 for the 12th time. I will be climbing again and raising money for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research with the highest probability of preventing, slowing or reversing Alzheimer’s disease through venture-based philanthropy. I’ve worked with them since 2008. This will be a personal milestone for me as well. On February 10, 2017, while training for the 8000-meter peak Dhaulagiri, continue reading

Looking for Alzheimer’s Signs over the Holidays

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Dec 212017

With Christmas just around the corner and other holiday celebrations in full swing, now is the time to raise our awareness of early signs that a loved one may have Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. Ida’s Story I have shared this before but in the department of “could of, would of, should of” it is a constant reminder of my own “what if” story. In 2001 we returned to Memphis to visit my parents over Christmas, something I had regularly done since leaving Memphis to start my career over three decades earlier. One of our annual traditions was continue reading

World Alzheimer’s Day starts with You

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Sep 212017

September 21 is World Alzheimer’s Day and with it comes the normal volume of news with huge numbers – millions, billions and trillions – trying to capture the scope and size of the problem, people impacted and costs and it comes with scary words like crisis, tsunami, and urgent. But, with respect to these stories, it all about you. For me the millions who have Alzheimer’s’ pale in comparison to the one who was killed by it, Ida Arnette. Never in my wildest moment did I think she would develop the disease and would not recognize me the last years continue reading

Are Alzheimer’s News Headlines Misleading?

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Jul 072017

I remain hopeful that thru dedicated research, a cure will be found for Alzheimer’s Disease. I often see headlines like this “Drug restores cells and memories in Alzheimer’s mouse models” bringing hope to the millions who suffer, but the reality is quite different. Alzheimer’s disease drug candidates has one of the highest failures rates of any disease area – 99.6%, compared with 81% for cancer. One of the issues revolves around using mice for these studies. Recently I had a long talk with the CEO of Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Tim Armour. He said that while mice are continue reading

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Dreaming of climbing mountains but not sure how to start or reach your next level from a Colorado 14er to Rainier, Everest or even K2? Summit Coach is a consulting service that helps aspiring climbers throughout the world achieve their goals through a personalized set of consulting services based on Alan Arnette’s 23 years of high altitude mountain experience and 30 years as a business executive. Please click for more information on signing up, services, pricing and why select Alan as your coach.

Alan Arnette is the oldest American to summit K2 in 2014 and has 6 expeditions on Everest or Lhotse with a summit of Everest in 2011. He climbs to raise money and awareness of Alzheimer's disease. His Project 8000 is to climb the 8000 meter mountains he has not summited over the next 5 years.